Mets @ Braves

Who will WIN this matchup?

New York Mets (61-57)

@ Atlanta Braves (70-50)

Starting Pitchers:

Wheeler (NYM): 9-6; 4.20 ERA

Fried (ATL) 13-4; 4.11 ERA

Last 10 Games Played:

New York Mets: 8-2

Atlanta Braves: 5-5

Current odds:

New York Mets: (+113)

Atlanta Braves: (-123)

• The New York Mets have won 15 of their past 17 games, a frantic stretch to vault them back into the National League wild card race, and after winning a weekend series against Washington they will begin a six-game road trip on Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves. Mets starting pitchers have a 2.66 ERA since the All-Star break while getting several players to step up offensively in support of Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil, pulling New York within one game of playoff position. Shortstop Amed Rosario is hitting .340 in his past 12 games and third baseman/outfielder J.D. Davis has five homers while hitting .392 with a 1.263 OPS in his past 16 contests as New York – which was 46-55 after losing to San Diego on July 24 – enters the week 61-57 and in third place in the NL East.

• The division-leading Braves split a four-game set at Miami over the weekend after winning a series at Minnesota, maintaining a 6 1/2-game lead over Washington and eight over the Mets in the division entering Monday. Atlanta center fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. sits two stolen bases shy of a 30/30 season, and started the week leading the NL in steals (28), hits (145) and runs scored (99). Second baseman Ozzie Albies is hitting .331 with a .944 OPS in 29 games since the All-Star break with 10 doubles, four triples and four homers for the Braves.

• Rumored to be available at the trade deadline, Wheeler was not moved and the pending free agent has responded by not allowing a run over 15 innings through two August starts. The 29-year-old pitched a season-high eight innings on Aug. 6 against Miami, allowing eight hits and one walk, after firing seven innings of four-hit ball with seven strikeouts on Aug. 1 against the Chicago White Sox. Wheeler, an Atlanta-area native, is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in two starts against the Braves this season, giving up 16 hits with 12 strikeouts across 12 innings.

• There were concerns about Fried given he has pitched 120 1/3 innings this season – the heaviest workload of his career – but he has quieted those worries for now by registering a 3.32 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings across his past four starts. The 25-year-old struck out a season-best 10 over 5 1/3 innings Wednesday at Minnesota, giving up three runs on six hits with one walk to win his fourth consecutive decision. Fried, who began the week second in the NL in victories, is 1-0 in two starts against the Mets in 2019 with a 4.09 ERA and 16 hits allowed over 11 innings.

• The Braves bullpen escaped Sunday after pitching three scoreless innings, but their relievers have pitched to a 6.90 ERA and 1.85 WHIP with 19 homers allowed in 29 games since the All-Star break.

• Mets RHP Edwin Diaz has yielded at least a run in five of his past six appearances with a 11.12 ERA and four homers allowed in 5 2/3 innings, giving up a two-run homer in the ninth inning Sunday.

• Atlanta leads the season series 6-4 and has won six of the past eight matchups, taking two of three in New York on June 28-30.